I think that Mercs lack of aero rake is causing them to struggle when they follow other cars. In clean air they are fine. This might turn out to be a big issue this year if Mercedes cannot stay out ahead.
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I think that Mercs lack of aero rake is causing them to struggle when they follow other cars. In clean air they are fine. This might turn out to be a big issue this year if Mercedes cannot stay out ahead.
Not bashing at all. However, they tend to struggle more than others that's all. Ferrari and RB develop their aero to follow cars as they were not front runners. Mercedes didn't have this issue before. Their aero package is totally different to other teams and that is what I'm sumizing.ecapox wrote:You are basing the Mercedes loss squarely on the aero rake of the car?
Bold move Cotton. Bold move.
Well, sort of.
The more down force a car has the more they have too loose, the faster cars will suffer most - it's a simple as that
Agreed but Seb followed Hamilton closely for quite a few laps with no apparent issue to his tyres. My understanding is that a higher raked floor that is sealed well with provide a greater percentage of the car's aero and that grip from the diffuser is less sensitive than grip from a wing.Unc1eM0nty wrote:The more down force a car has the more they have too loose, the faster cars will suffer most - it's a simple as thatJonoNic wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:22 amI think that Mercs lack of aero rake is causing them to struggle when they follow other cars. In clean air they are fine. This might turn out to be a big issue this year if Mercedes cannot stay out ahead.dans79 wrote: Depends on the start, or if they can get another dry lap in.
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We need to see this on a track where its possible to overtake, can't waitJonoNic wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2017 10:02 amAgreed but Seb followed Hamilton closely for quite a few laps with no apparent issue to his tyres. My understanding is that a higher raked floor that is sealed well with provide a greater percentage of the car's aero and that grip from the diffuser is less sensitive than grip from a wing.Unc1eM0nty wrote:The more down force a car has the more they have too loose, the faster cars will suffer most - it's a simple as that
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And that is strange because during Quali watching the 2 onboards Ham seemed to look like he was super quick whilst just out for a Sunday drive with no dramas.Phil wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2017 10:23 amIt doesnt compute that Ferrari had the faster car. IMO Hamilton didnt have the confidence in the car. He was on edge, complaining a lot to the team about tire state and grip, despite being on rather good pace (evident by the gap they pulled out to Bottas and Kimi). This leads me to believe Hamilton/Mercedes were rather concerned about Vettel sitting closely behind, closing the gap at will.
At the end of it, they were probably rather equal on pace, slight edge going to Seb/Ferrari. It could have also been a bit of a bluff. All cars would have needed to drive to delta and save fuel due to 10% more throttle etc. Sure, you need the pace first to get you there, which Vettel clearly had, but i dont believe he had much more in hand. Then they did something awesome: he started to push, close the gap giving the impression they were about to pit. A masterstroke.
Hamilton/Mercedes pitted, either to cover him off or get the undercut. Eitherway, they pitted themselve 3s behind VES and Seb stayed out long enough to jump both. The rest is history and not representative anymore ti draw any conclusions. Hamiltons stint was compromised and Vettel had a comfortable margin and easy win.
The lasting impression i got from all this, is that Hamilton lacked that confidence in the car he usually has.
Still awesome start into the season. I am much looking forward to a closer battle for the WDC among drivers of different teams, rather than a race between team mates. If Seb and Ham remain the front runners of their team, we will see a battle in which the teams rally behind their driver and battle for the win. Its been too long since we have had this.
The other way around, mate... W08 is very complex and aero performance depends a lot on front wing performance, SF70H seems less reliant on it (by design "simplicity" and by how today's race unfolded). And after front wing we move to barge board area where Ferrari is also less complex than W08...
OK. So my understanding of the aero is lacking but there is a more negative effect on the Mercedes when following cars. Right?Vanja #66 wrote:The other way around, mate... W08 is very complex and aero performance depends a lot on front wing performance, SF70H seems less reliant on it (by design "simplicity" and by how today's race unfolded). And after front wing we move to barge board area where Ferrari is also less complex than W08...